Issue with playback of movies on VLC

[Worldwide-Collection]

Hi
I Recently bought a Libre drive friendly Pioneer drive and maybe because I’m a beginner to this hobby I’m encountering issues with playback of the discs via VLC.

For DVD I used a region 4 locked (Mexican market) of The Incredibles to play/rip I get the notification to change the region code (I’m in the UK so it’s region 2) of the drive even though I have makemkv and the Libre drive status is enabled.

For Blu rays I used Taken 2 the extended cut, it runs fine on makemkv however on VLC when I click play I receive errors for needing AACS decoding and that VLC cannot open the MRL.

For 4K I tested with a brand new disc of Mission Impossible dead Reckoning part 1, I only got the AACS error like before.

The only other issue I have is for integration once I have ticked VLC and entered my password once I go back to it to see if it selected it wasn’t even after ticking it multiple times so possibly this might be the issue on why it can’t decode the AACS files.

The computer I’m using is a MacBook Pro 2020 running MacOS Sequoia 15.0.1. While the drive is a Pioneer BDR-XS07TS crossflashed to BDR-XS07TUHD with firmware 1.02.

[Worldwide-Collection]

I’ve managed to bypass Apple’s built in DVD player software by just closing it down and on VLC pressing open disc then play. So at the moment it’s just the HD and 4K Blu-Rays where it still gets the AACS error and cannot open the file.

[dcoke22]

I think reading through this thread might help you.

makemkv was prevented from modifying apps on your mac

[Worldwide-Collection]

Thanks dcoke22 I actually went into the security settings of Apple settings and just unticked and reticked both Makemkv and terminal and it works playing the movie but I receive a JavaScript error to enable the disc menus which is annoying.

For the HD blurays my Mac was fine however when I tried the 4K disc it played but I could tell my computer wasn’t a fan of it because it really was using a lot of memory. It’s just odd because the menus work for my region 4 DVD but not the blurays.

Although the HD blurays version of Leon works including the menus for some reason. The HD version of Taken 2 and 4K Mission Impossible dead reckoning part 1 their menus don’t show up due to the JavaScript issue.

[Worldwide-Collection]

Well installing Java and reinstalling VLC has worked although on occasion I do get errors but apart from that the menu screen works which is important for some discs to access extended versions, bonus etc.

[chrisking]

It sounds like you are running into a few issues related to region codes and AACS protection when trying to play or rip DVDs and Blu-rays on your MacBook Pro with your Pioneer drive. Here are some detailed steps to address these problems:

1. Region Code Issue with DVDs

Region Code Management: The region code on your drive needs to be changed to match the DVD you’re trying to play. However, there are limits to how many times you can change the region code.

MakeMKV Region-Free Ripping: Even though MakeMKV can read DVDs without worrying about the region code, VLC might still have problems due to the drive’s firmware settings.

Solution: Use MakeMKV(or DumboFab or other DVD ripping tools) to rip the DVD to your hard drive and then play the ripped file with VLC. This approach bypasses the region lock.

2. AACS Decoding Error for Blu-rays and 4K UHD Discs
AACS Decryption for VLC: VLC does not come with built-in support for AACS decryption. You need to install additional libraries for VLC to play Blu-ray discs.
Steps to Install AACS Libraries:

Download the KEYDB.cfg file from VLC's Blu-ray support page.

Place the KEYDB.cfg file in the following directory: ~/Library/Preferences/aacs/.

Download the libaacs.dylib file and place it in /usr/local/lib/ on your Mac.

If these folders don’t exist, you may need to create them manually.
MRL Error: This typically occurs when VLC cannot locate or access the Blu-ray disc. Ensure your Blu-ray drive is properly recognized by your Mac and that the disc is clean and free from damage.

3. VLC Integration with MakeMKV

MakeMKV and VLC Integration: When setting up MakeMKV to work with VLC for Blu-ray playback, it’s crucial that VLC is configured correctly to use MakeMKV as a decryption service.

Steps:
In MakeMKV, go to Preferences > Integration.
Make sure VLC is selected, and you have given the necessary permissions. If you are encountering issues where VLC does not remain selected, it could be a permissions issue.

Reinstall MakeMKV: If the integration checkbox keeps resetting, try reinstalling MakeMKV and ensuring it has full disk access permissions under System Preferences > Privacy & Security.

4. 4K UHD Playback
AACS Decryption for 4K UHD: 4K discs have stricter copy protection, and even with a LibreDrive, they cannot be played directly in VLC. You must rip the 4K Blu-ray using MakeMKV first and then play the ripped file.

Summary of Solutions:

DVD Playback: Rip DVDs using MakeMKV or DumboFab and then play the ripped files in VLC.

Blu-ray Playback: Install the AACS libraries as mentioned above, or use MakeMKV to rip Blu-ray discs before playback.

4K UHD Discs: Use MakeMKV to rip 4K UHD discs, as VLC cannot play them directly due to the advanced protection.

[Billycar11]

It sounds like you are running into a few issues related to region codes and AACS protection when trying to play or rip DVDs and Blu-rays on your MacBook Pro with your Pioneer drive. Here are some detailed steps to address these problems:

1. Region Code Issue with DVDs

Region Code Management: The region code on your drive needs to be changed to match the DVD you’re trying to play. However, there are limits to how many times you can change the region code.

MakeMKV Region-Free Ripping: Even though MakeMKV can read DVDs without worrying about the region code, VLC might still have problems due to the drive’s firmware settings.

Solution: Use MakeMKV(or DumboFab or other DVD ripping tools) to rip the DVD to your hard drive and then play the ripped file with VLC. This approach bypasses the region lock.

2. AACS Decoding Error for Blu-rays and 4K UHD Discs
AACS Decryption for VLC: VLC does not come with built-in support for AACS decryption. You need to install additional libraries for VLC to play Blu-ray discs.
Steps to Install AACS Libraries:

Download the KEYDB.cfg file from VLC's Blu-ray support page.

Place the KEYDB.cfg file in the following directory: ~/Library/Preferences/aacs/.

Download the libaacs.dylib file and place it in /usr/local/lib/ on your Mac.

If these folders don’t exist, you may need to create them manually.
MRL Error: This typically occurs when VLC cannot locate or access the Blu-ray disc. Ensure your Blu-ray drive is properly recognized by your Mac and that the disc is clean and free from damage.

3. VLC Integration with MakeMKV

MakeMKV and VLC Integration: When setting up MakeMKV to work with VLC for Blu-ray playback, it’s crucial that VLC is configured correctly to use MakeMKV as a decryption service.

Steps:
In MakeMKV, go to Preferences > Integration.
Make sure VLC is selected, and you have given the necessary permissions. If you are encountering issues where VLC does not remain selected, it could be a permissions issue.

Reinstall MakeMKV: If the integration checkbox keeps resetting, try reinstalling MakeMKV and ensuring it has full disk access permissions under System Preferences > Privacy & Security.

4. 4K UHD Playback
AACS Decryption for 4K UHD: 4K discs have stricter copy protection, and even with a LibreDrive, they cannot be played directly in VLC. You must rip the 4K Blu-ray using MakeMKV first and then play the ripped file.

Summary of Solutions:

DVD Playback: Rip DVDs using MakeMKV or DumboFab and then play the ripped files in VLC.

Blu-ray Playback: Install the AACS libraries as mentioned above, or use MakeMKV to rip Blu-ray discs before playback.

4K UHD Discs: Use MakeMKV to rip 4K UHD discs, as VLC cannot play them directly due to the advanced protection.

4 is wrong you silly ai you can direct playback 4 from disc with VLC and libredrive is it perfect no not even close but it can be done.

To the person controlling the ai why if you don't know something just don't help
Ai really is ruining community tech support the crap it puts together and makes up is just wrong
In the old days if someone put nice steps together like that it would usually be right now when people look back at this junk half these "helpful" guides will be bad because of ai